Simulated racing apparatus



Nov. 21 1950 M. TOBIN ETAL 2,530,555

SIMULATED RACING APPARATUS Filed May 29, 1947 EU: E1 INVENTOR.

772w Tobin BY EM Jfio elrs Patented Nov. 21, 1950 nNiTso STATES SIMULAT D CI G MaxTobin and Frank J Rogers, New York, N. 2..

Application May 29, 1947, SciialNo. 751,336

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to games, and particularly to a type game wherein a number of playing elements or movable game pieces are propelled ingrooves or guidewa-ys by means of missiles projected against them.

An objector" theinvention is to provide a game ofthis character of relatively simple and sturdy construction which will be entertaining and amusing; which can be manufactured inexpensively and economically soldand which can be played by children or grown-ups.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a base member provided with a plurality ofrelatively lengthy, parallel grooves or guideways, each of, which receives a movable playing element or game piece adapted to be propelled forwardly in its guideway by blows from a ball or other missile projected along the groove or guideway by means of a manually operated plunger; each guideway being provided with its own plunger operated by a player, the object of thegame being for each-person to-force'his playingelement to a remote end of the guideway by the leastnumberof blows from the ball projected by his plunger.

The invention contemplates the construction of the supporting base and guideways therein, the playing elements slidable in said guideways, themeans for-supporting the base angularly, and other features and objects to be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a game constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and with one of the playing members or game pieces lifted out of its guideway; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the guideways, showing one of the playing members therein, as well as the ball which impinges against the same, and the plunger for projecting the ball; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the end support for the base member of the game, and Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the end support.

Referring to the drawing, l indicates generally the base member of the game. It will be noted that the same is in the form of a tray-like element of considerable length, preferably formed from pressed sheet metal and of one or more pieces suitably connected together in the manner known in the industry. The base number I in- 2 cludes a top' H" which is provided for its len th with a plurality of depressed grooves, or guideways. Two of these grooves are shown at2 and 3 in the; drawing, but-it will be understood that this number maybe increased according to the size of the base member, thus, permitting an increase in the number of players; At its front end, the base is provided with the wall 6 which 7 is apertured-at the endof each of the guideways land 3- to permit the passage of the plungers 6, each of which is provided; at its outer end with knob l; andon its inner end with a head 5. A coil spring 2 surrounds the body of each plunger; the spring'being-oonfined between the head 5 and the wall 4, as clearly seen in Fig; 4. This arrangement is such that eachiof the guideways 2 and 3 isprovidedwitha plunger lay-means of which a ball 9 may be projected along in each guideway. The plungers are covered by a flange l0 forming a horizontal extension of the front wall 3, said iiange extending over aportion of the top H and; being secured thereto, tonot only cover and protect the plungers as above explained, but to lend considerable rigidity to the base member.

The movable playing elements or game pieces [2 and l3- to be propelled along in the grooves or guideways 2 and '3 bythe impingement of the balls 9 against the same, are seen in Figs; 1, 3 and 4. Each or these playing elements may be made in the form oiavehicle, such as an airplane, automobile or an animal, such as a horse, or dog, or any other article and it is the object of the game, in which a number of players participate according to the number of guideways or grooves provided in the base member, to force a playing member or game piece to the remote end of the base member I by the least number of operations of the plunger. The playing elements are each provided with a bottom or base portion l4 which fits into the groove in which the playing element is slidable,'and said base member is adapted to receive blows from the ball or other missile 9 which is projected along in the guideway or groove by operation of the plunger. The base portion or bottom l4, shown in the drawing is a substantially U-shaped metal frame or bracket to which the playing element is attached in any suitable manner. This base portion or bottom l4 may be weighted if desired, or it may be arranged to frictionally engage portions of the guideway in which it is movable, if it is desired to impede movements of the playing member along in its groove or when it is desired to prevent too-free movement of the playing element or game piece in its guideway toward the end or goal.

In playing the game, it is desirable, but not wholly essential, that the base member be inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, and for this purpose a support is provided at one end of the base by means of which that end is held in an elevated position, as more clearly seen in Fig. 2. The support, in the form shown, consists of a plate [1, provided at its opposite ends with laterally bent wings or flanges l8 and 19, each being separated for a portion of its length, from the plate ll by means of a slot 20. In applying the end support I! to the base, to cause said support to stand upright and hold the end of the base member l in an elevated position, the end wall 22 of the base member I is fitted in the slots 20. The support U will then hold the base member as shown in Fig. 2 and will, in addition, provide an upstanding wall portion 23 at the end of the base member acting to prevent the balls 9 from flying off into space, if a too vigorous operation of the plungers should cause a ball to jump out of the groove or guideway in which it was projected.

From the foregoing, the manner in which the game is played will be readily understood. Each player has one of the game pieces l2, 13 assigned to him together with one of the grooves or guideways in which his particular game piece is to be moved. The first player places his game piece at the starting point, consisting of the forward edge of the flange I0, and upon operation of his plunger, a ball or other missile 9 will be projected by the plunger; the ball will strike the base portion Id of the game piece in the groove or guideway in front of it and the impingement of the ball against the base portion M of the game piece will cause the game piece to be slid forwardly in its groove or guideway for a distance depending upon the force or skill with which the plunger was manipulated. The next player operates his plunger as above stated, and the player whose game piece is first to reach the remote end of the base member, or the end at which the support I! is located, is adjudged the winner of the game.

While we have described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same may be materially modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. The number of guideways employed; the shape and style of the game pieces, and the structural features of the base member, plungers and the supporting means for the base member are all features which might be materially altered and such changes are considered as within the scope of the claim appended hereto.

What we claim is:

A game of the character described comprising, an elongated sheet metal base formed with a plurality of spaced, parallel depressed grooves extending longitudinally of the base, means for holding one end of the base in an elevated po-- sition, said means consisting of a plate having parts extending vertically above and below the base, slotted side flanges on said plate, the slots in said side flanges being in engagement with the end of the base, the opposite end of the base being provided with a flange extending over and covering the tops of the grooves for a portion of the length of said grooves, a game-piece for slidable movement in each groove, such game-piece having a bottom extension fitting into its groove, 2. ball in each groove adapted for propelling movement therein to impinge against the bottom extension of the game-piece located in the groove, a plunger in each groove at the end of the base member remote from the base-elevating means, said plungers being located below the flange at said end of the base member, each plunger being operative in a single groove only to impinge against and propel the ball located therein.

MAX TOBIN. FRANK J. ROGERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num er Name Date 1,462,189 Brooker July 17, 1923 1,720,707 Woodward July 16, 1929 1,958,563 Brooker et a1 May 15, 1934 1,970,069 Whitlock Aug. 14, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 203,899 Germany Nov. 4, 1908 275,682 Great Britain Aug. 17, 1927 53,225 Denmark June 14, 1937 

